UKC

I posted in May last year about needing a rotator cuff repair after completely detaching my supraspinatus tendon.

I had the op on the 7th October and went back to climbing indoors last night.

Just wanted to feedback to anyone due to get something similar done. I was told I'd need 6 months to recover before being able to climb or do any sporting activity/exercising

I religiously did my physio 3 times a day and shocked the physio with the speed of recovery and movement I was getting. Three and a half months in and it feels better than before I had the op. I can do 50 press-ups, have full movement and it didn't hurt last night on the wall. Only doing easy climbs at the moment up to 6a+ but it feels good and I'm really chuffed I decided to have it done.

 

So if anyone out there is debating whether to get a similar repair done, go for it, but stick to the physio!

 

In reply to WaterMonkey:

Mine snapped.What does the consultant say?Never mind the physio.When my consultant said OK I then moved onto headstands etc. Until then I was cautious, as I did not want a repeat.

In reply to neilh:

The standard textbook advice was always wait between 6 months and a year. My actual surgeon was very pleased with the repair he did and said it would reach 90% strength after 3 months and to avoid any heavy lifting.

I figure gentle climbing is more about range of movement than putting any great strain on it. I wouldn't throw a ball or use a tennis racket just yet, nor would I do any bouldering/dyno moves!

Don't underestimate the physio though, Before I knew I had torn my tendon I did physio for my sore shoulder, this resulted in the surgeon not realising the tendon had torn because my other muscles were compensating, I think this continued physio has sped up the return to normal use.

 

In reply to WaterMonkey:

 

I'm glad yours has worked out.... Yes I did the physio I was told to do...

I had a repair and its mucked it up even worse. I can't even wash my own arm pit with my hand as it won't reach across my body...

 

 

In reply to Dave B:

I was like that it took 2 years of relentless physio 4 times a day., to eventually get back on the rock. Really hard but worth it.

In reply to Dave B:

Sorry to hear yours didn't work. I discovered that when I laid on my back with my elbow by my side and my hand in the air I wasn't able to rotate my arm sideways very far. I worked on stretching this movement 3 times a day for about a week and it freed it up.

Something similar may help you? Try pulling your arm across your chest gently until you feel it stretch (not too much that it hurts badly), hold for 10 secs. I'd try doing this 3 sets, 3 times a day and see if it improves. There'll be a lot of scar tissue which has joined itself to other tendons restricting movement, you have to basically tear this scar tissue open again.

Sorry if I'm teaching you to suck eggs and of course my advice is only based on what my physio told me I'm not a doctor I'm an engineer!

In reply to WaterMonkey:

Good to hear you've had such a positive outcome, but anyone considering surgery still has to balance the fact that many people don't. Took my sister two surgeries and several years of rehab to get back to where she wanted to be, despite having the cash, time and motivation to privately see the best surgeons and physios, as well as studying anatomy and physiotherapy to the point where she could probably open her own shoulder specialist clinic. I know several other climbers who've also gone through multiple surgeries and setbacks as on the road to recovery. Personally, I'd always want to exhaust the conservative treatment options first.

In reply to WaterMonkey: Hi, I had a repair for a 'massive' tear in my infraspinatus on 5th September- think it was just under 6cm and 'close to be unrepairable'. 

I have not done my physio three times a day as I was warned about overdoing it and the importance of time as a healer-I have done it every day though.

Been to wall twice-still a bit wary but led routes up to 6a+. I am not planning on going regularly for a few more weeks, I don't have full freedom of movement and think it would be easy to tweak it swinging around on big holds.

Physio focused on strengthening and activating rotator cuff muscles at the minute and will move on to the whole chain, whatever that is, soon. Hope to 'just climb' for a couple of months and then maybe knuckle down for some training as I do want to keep the goals I set before the injury, no real reason why that should not be possible.

Very grateful to NHS for operating in four months, may have saved my bacon.

 

In reply to Root1:

So I'm back to the GP today to start all over again. 

Physio thinks I need something else looked at before it'll get better and the consultant had discharged me before I was healed. 

 

Feeling quite rubbish about it .